The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued recommendations to reduce sleep-related infant death, which advise against all bed-sharing for sleep, because infants or neonates can inadvertently be rolled-over, squished, pressed into a mattress, covered by blankets, pillows, bedcovers, toys, or other movable objects and become asphyxiated.
The AAP and other professional organizations strongly discourage mothers taking their infants into their bed while sleeping. When mothers are exhausted and fall asleep, they can roll over an infant and inadvertently hurt or even asphyxiate the baby. Adherence to the recommendations against taking infants into their bed while sleeping, as well as keeping them in a supine (nose up) position, and on a hard sleeping surface is associated with a decrease in the incidence of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). Nevertheless approximately 30 to 80% of mothers engage in this common practice of co-sleeping because they want to touch, smell, hear, and see their babies. It also facilitates bonding, may make them feel less exhausted when they do not have to place their infants in a separate crib after each feeding, and from a health perspective, the practice of co-sleeping is associated with higher rates of and continuation of breastfeeding across cultures.